Players who have played for PNE and Oldham
891) Pawel Abbott
313) Horace Barnes
836) Darren Beckford
630) Graham Bell
867) David Beresford
710) Jim Branaghan
574) David Bright
390) Billy Broadbent
103) Matthew Brunton
852) Darren Byfield
762) Aaron Callaghan
694) Les Chapman
552) Bill Cranston
920) Chris Day
333) Tom Devlin
716) Tony Ellis
846) David Eyres
730) Mike Flynn
770) Shaun Garnett
857) Andy Gray
835) Sean Gregan
251) Billy Halligan
649) Martin Hodge
933) Jason Jarrett
743) Ronnie Jepson
452) Willie Jessop
695) Alex Jones
923) David Jones
647) John Kelly
570) Ken Knighton
639) Peter Litchfield
818) Neil McDonald
353) Frank Moss
932) Brett Ormerod
410) Jack Pears
724) Tony Philliskirk
674) John Platt
833) David Reeves
940) Michael Ricketts
806) Allan Smart
249) Jack Tatton
701) Steve Taylor
226) Alf Toward
603) Ray Tracey
957) Neal Trotman
273) George Waddell
910) Gavin Ward
671) Jeff Wealands
886) Clyde Wijnhard
Player Profile – Les Chapman
Leslie ‘Les’ Chapman was born in Royton on 27 September 1948 and in his 22 playing seasons he made 747 league appearances and was the second longest serving player behind Tommy Hutchinson.
During his schooldays Chapman played for the Huddersfield youth team. He spent the first months of his working life as a trainee accountant with Middleton Council before being recommended to Oldham, where he signed as a professional. He made his first-team debut as an 18-year-old at Bristol Rovers in a 2-1 defeat on 11 February 1967.
Chapman scored 9 goals in 76 appearances for Oldham before joining Huddersfield in September 1969 with David Shaw travelling in the opposite direction. His first season saw Huddersfied win the Second Division title but later suffered two relegations as by the 1973/74 Huddersfield had dropped to Division Three. Whilst playing in the top division his goal in a 2-1 victory over Arsenal in January 1971 won him the Goal of the Month.
After 8 goals in 134 league appearances for Huddersfield Chapman rejoined Oldham for the second time in December 1974, who was now playing in the Fourth Division.
He stayed at the club for the next four and a half years, during which they climbed back up to the Second Division. Chapman missed only five games during that time and it came as a surprise to many when he left at the end of the 1978/79 season on a free transfer.
During the two spells with the Latics, Chapman made 263 league appearances for Oldham Athletic and scored 20 times.
Chapman spent the summer of 1979 playing in the North American Soccer League for San Jose Earthquakes and made 20 appearances.
For the start of the 1978/79 season Chapman returned to the North West with Stockport, scoring once in 32 appearances.
In February 1980 Chapman joined Bradford City for £10,000 and spent four seasons at Valley Parade making 139 league appearances with 3 goals, before leaving on a free transfer for Rochdale where he spent two seasons and made 88 appearances.
In July 1985 he became player-manager of Stockport, winning 14 of his 38 matches. In July 1986 he became player-coach under John McGrath at Preston. Chapman made his Preston debut on the opening day of the 1986/87 season in a 1-1 draw at Tranmere on 23 August. He made 36 appearances for the Lilywhites and his only goal for the club was one of the most famous ones in the clubs history. As Chapman scored in the 2-1 win at Orient on 25 April which secured promotion from Division Four.
A few months earlier saw Chapman achieve a rare honour as the appearance at the Veitch Field, Swansea on 17 January saw him play at all 92 league grounds.
The following season was his 22nd and last as a player, he made 17 appearances with his final game a 4-0 defeat at Gillingham on 23 April 1988.
The departure of John McGrath saw Chapman take over as Manager on 14 December 1990 just a few days after a defeat in the FA Cup at non-league Whitley Bay.
Preston spent most of the time in the lower reaches of the third tier and Chapman was sacked on 29 September 1992 having won 32 of his 91 matches.
He became reserve team coach at Manchester City in January 1993 but was replaced by Kevin Bond in July 1996. Then in 1996 he became youth coach at Huddersfield in place of Mark Lillis before leaving in October 1997. Chapman then returned to Manchester City as kit man and now kit manager.